50 replies to this topic

[Lori Davis]

http://www.khastv.co...-111738459.html

Missing Nebraska College Student Update
General Reporter
Story Created: Dec 11, 2010 at 11:19 PM CST
(Story Updated: Dec 11, 2010 at 11:19 PM CST )

We're now learning more about the South Carolina man charged in the disappearance of a Nebraska student. Madison County authorities say Joshua Keadle, 29, propositioned a woman and exposed himself in April when he was a student at Wayne State College. He now faces accusations of public indecency in that case.

Keadle is currently being held at the Nemaha County Jail on charges of providing false information and tampering with evidence in the disappearance of Tyler "Ty" Thomas,19. Thomas was last seen December 3rd. Keadle told police he and Thomas fought after she threatened to report that he raped her.

[Jenn]

http://www.action3ne....asp?S=13666648

"Person of Interest" In Missing Student Case Prepares For Court

December 13, 2010

Nemaha County, NE - The search continues for 19-year-old Ty Thomas, the Peru State College student missing for more than a week.

The person of interest in the case is 29-year-old Joshua Keadle who according to court documents is the last person to see Thomas alive. Deputies arrested him one week ago.

29-year-old Joshua Keadle is scheduled for a bond hearing Tuesday. So far in this case, he faces charges of giving false information and mishandling evidence.

Boats and helicopters search high and low while deputies comb empty fields. They all search for college student Ty Thomas who's been missing now for more than a week. Documents show 29-year-old Joshua Keadle who was Thomas' dorm neighbor was the last person with the student. He's now being investigated. "There are additional facts but I can't comment on those facts at this time," said Nemaha County Attorney Louie Ligouri.

Nemaha County Attorney Louie Ligouri says he can't comment on if he plans to add new charges against Keadle in connection with Ty Thomas. "We are gathering new facts as the investigation continues. It would combine or overlap Mr. Keadle and her missing status," said Ligouri.

He goes on to say there's new information about Keadle that's not yet released to the public. "We are gathering new information. Not everything is in that affidavit," said Ligouri.

Keadle's bond hearing will be the first time he goes in front of a judge since his arrest almost a week ago. Ligouri says he hasn't decided what kind of bond he'll ask the judge for.

Again, Keadle goes to court early Tuesday morning.

[Jenn]

http://www.action3ne....asp?S=13667769

Woman Claims Sex Drove Keadle in Madison County Crime

Posted: Dec 13, 2010 11:32 PM EST

Madison County, NE - Authorities continue to search for 19 year-old Ty Thomas after she vanishes just ten days ago. The man arrested in connection with her disappearance is a wanted man in Madison County and has a disturbing past also involving sex.

On December 3rd, Ty Thomas a Peru State student vanishes after a night of partying.  29 year-old Josh Keadle, a fellow Peru student, has been arrested in connection with her disappearance.  Investigators say Keadle eventually admits he had a sexual encounter with Thomas before she went missing. 

Court records reveal disgusting details from Madison County. Four pages of documents support a charge of public indecency against 29 year-old Joshua Keadle.  Norfolk Police claim Keadle approached a woman last April with his shorts pulled down past his thighs, exposing himself.  He asked if she quote "liked posing for pictures."  The documents state Keadle told her he likes certain sex acts and offered the woman money to perform them.

Sex is also what he supposedly wanted from Ty Thomas spelled out in an affidavit from Nemaha County.  But that's not what he told KMTV Action 3 News the day after she disappeared. On December 4th, Keadle said, "Her cousin come to my door asking if I seen her and I was like 'yeah' she was just down the street and it didn't sink in until I saw her family crying outside the hallway and I was like wow, this could be serious."

Authorities question Keadle several times. During each interview his story changes.  The information he provides leads searchers to hunt for Thomas along the Missouri River.  From deep tire tracks  to Keadle's ever changing story on what may have happened to the 19-year old, the case against Keadle is growing.  Nemaha County Attorney Louie Ligouri says he can't comment on the additional facts but said, "We are gathering new facts as the investigation continues. It would combine or overlap Mr. Keadle and her missing status."

While authorities won't spell out the extent Keadle's involved in Thomas' disappearance, a clearer picture may be coming into focus for investigators when it comes to Keadle and sex.

Joshua Keadle will be in court Tuesday morning.  Currently he faces charges of giving false information and tampering with evidence with Ty Thomas' case.  Stay with KMTV Action 3 News for continuing coverage in this case.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.action3ne....asp?S=13670362

More Charges In Missing Peru State Student Case
12/14/2010

Auburn, NE - (AP) - Charges in a separate case have been filed against a 29-year-old man who's suspected in the disappearance of a Peru State College student.

On Tuesday, Nemaha County prosecutors charged Joshua Keadle with sexually assaulting a woman on October 31st.

He already faces accusations of public indecency when he was a student at another Nebraska school. And Keadle is being held in Nemaha County jail on charges of providing false information and tampering with evidence in the disappearance of 19-year-old Tyler "Ty" Thomas. The young Bellevue woman was last seen December 3rd.

Online court records don't list Keadle's attorney.

Keadle, originally from Swansea, S.C., has told investigators he had sex with Thomas the night she disappeared and that they later got into a verbal and physical fight.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.wbtv.com/....asp?S=13672281

Search suspended for missing NE college student
Associated Press - December 14, 2010 4:15 PM ET

AUBURN, Neb. (AP) - Authorities have suspended the search for a missing Peru State College student.

Nemaha County Sheriff Brent Lottman on Tuesday says officials have "exhausted" all search efforts for 19-year-old Tyler "Ty" Thomas.

The freshman from Bellevue was reported missing Dec. 3 after attending an off-campus party in Peru.

A 29-year-old South Carolina man, Joshua Keadle, is charged with providing false information and tampering with evidence in Tyler's disappearance.

Charges were filed Tuesday in a separate case against Keadle.

Nemaha County prosecutors charged him with three counts of first-degree sexual assault, with false imprisonment and terroristic threats in an Oct. 31 incident.

Keadle remains in the Nemaha County jail. His lawyer did not return a call Tuesday from The Associated Press.

[Kelly]

Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
http://www.nemahacou...ff/sheriff.html
12/14/2010

Investigation Continues in Disappearance of Peru College Student Tyler Thomas

(Peru, NE)- The investigation into the December 3, 2010 disappearance of Peru State College Student Tyler “Ty” Thomas continues as the organized search for her is suspended.

After extensive ground searches involving hundreds of volunteers, and trained search dogs, and an exhaustive search of the Missouri River, with the assistance of the Missouri Water Patrol, Thomas remains missing.

“We have exhausted all of our search efforts at this point,” said Nemaha County Sheriff Brent Lottman. “We continue to aggressively investigate Ty’s disappearance and will resume searching should information become available.”

Thomas, 19, and a freshman at Peru State College, was reported missing at 3:00 am, Friday, Dec. 3, after attending an off-campus party in Peru.  Authorities have arrested a person of interest in the case.  On Wednesday, Dec. 8, Joshua Keadle, 29, was jailed in Nemaha County for Providing False Information, and Tampering with Evidence in connection with the investigation into Thomas’ disappearance.

The Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office is being assisted in the investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Otoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska City Police Department, as well as Team Adam from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Sheriff Lottman said, “If anyone feels they have information that could aid in the investigation, please contact the Sheriff’s Office.”

Information related to Thomas’ disappearance can be phoned into the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office at (402) 274-3139 or contact Nebraska Crime Stoppers. You can call the Statewide Crime Stoppers toll free line at 800-422-1494 or submit your tip online at www.nebraskacrimestoppers.com you will remain anonymous and can be eligible for a cash reward.

[Jenn]

http://www.ketv.com/...489/detail.html

Peru State Students Pray For Missing Classmate
Candlelight Vigil Held To Pray For Ty Thomas

POSTED: 7:57 am CST December 15, 2010 UPDATED: 8:07 am CST December 15, 2010

PERU, Neb. -- Peru State College student Tyler Thomas remained missing Wednesday morning, but her fellow students gathered Tuesday night to pray for her.

Feeling a bit helpless, but not yet hopeless, a handful of students huddled together on campus.

Pastor Tiger Moses with the Auburn Calvary Christian Center led the candlelight vigil.

"There are no magic words to fix this situation," said Moses. "Whatever we can say to express that we care for them is all we can say."

It's been an anxious time during finals week at the college. The president of Peru State, Dr. Daniel Hanson, asked the students to study and try to do their best in hard times. He invited the students to attend a daily noon meeting in his office, and if they needed counseling, it's available.

"Our students know each other. If they didn't know Ty well, they knew who she was. They knew classes she was in and they miss her a lot," said Hanson.

Besides prayer, students expressed their thoughts by leaving heartfelt messages on a poster hanging in the student union.

"For us there's always a chance that until we find her, that she's going to be able to return, so we need to keep that hope alive until we know otherwise," said Moses.

All organized searches have been called off. Anyone with information about the disappearance of Ty Thomas is asked to call the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office at 402-274-3139.

[Lori Davis]

http://journalstar.c...232ecd0b29.html

Search suspended for missing NE college student

Posted: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 5:35 pm

AUBURN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities on Tuesday suspended the search for a missing Peru State College student who was last seen at an off-campus party in Peru on Dec. 3.

"We have exhausted all of our search efforts at this point," said Nemaha County Sheriff Brent Lottman.

Lottman said in a statement that the investigation into the disappearance of Tyler "Ty" Thomas, a 19-year-old freshman from Bellevue, will continue and the search will resume if any information becomes available.

A 29-year-old South Carolina man, Joshua Keadle, is charged with providing false information and tampering with evidence in Tyler's disappearance.

Charges also were filed Tuesday in a separate case against Keadle.

Nemaha County prosecutors charged him with three counts of first-degree sexual assault, with false imprisonment and terroristic threats. The new charges stem from an Oct. 31 incident.

Keadle already was in Nemaha County jail in Thomas' disappearance. He remains in custody on a total of $950,000 in bail. His next court date is Jan. 7. His lawyer did not return a call Tuesday from The Associated Press.

The Nemaha County sheriff's office has called Keadle a person of interest in the case.

Keadle, who originally is from Swansea, S.C., initially told officers he had seen Thomas near her dorm on Dec. 3. But he later changed his story and said they left campus together that night.

According to an affidavit filed by Nemaha County Sheriff Brent Lottman, Keadle said he and Thomas had sex in Keadle's vehicle. Keadle told investigators that a verbal and physical fight later erupted in which Thomas threatened to report that he had raped her. He said he returned to his dorm room and took a shower to wash off any physical evidence of their encounter.

The affidavit does not include information about when or how Keadle and Thomas parted ways. The county attorney has declined to release more information about the Thomas case.

In another case, Keadle has been charged with public indecency for an incident reported in April in Norfolk. An affidavit filed in court says he offered a now-19-year-old woman as much as $1,500 for sex and exposed himself to her. He has denied the allegations.

Court records also show Keadle was charged last month in Nemaha County with criminal mischief in connection with a damaged door on the Peru State campus. He also pleaded guilty to a theft charge in Dodge County stemming from an October 2009 incident and was fined.

Keadle has been suspended from Peru State, which is a small liberal arts school in the Nebraska State College System.

[Jenn]

http://www.khastv.co...-111962584.html

Peru State suspends campus security director

Story Created: Dec 15, 2010 at 5:52 PM CST Story Updated: Dec 15, 2010 at 5:52 PM CST

Another strange twist has come about in the investigation into the disappearance of a Peru State College Student. This is in the wake of an announcement by law enforcement that they've called off the search for the missing teenager.

News 5 has learned Wednesday that the college has suspended its campus security director.

The school declined to explain the reason for the suspension.

Tyler "Ty" Thomas, a 19-year-old freshman went missing in the early morning hours of December 3rd walking home from an off campus party.

The search for her was suspended Tuesday.

29-year-old Joshua Keadle is in jail on charges of providing false information and tampering with evidence in Tyler's disappearance.

He's being held on a million dollar bond in a sex assault case involving another student.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.action3ne....asp?S=13705736

More Women Claim Run-Ins With Joshua Keadle
12/17/2010

Peru, NE - There are new complaints against Joshua Keadle, the only person of interest in the disappearance of Ty Thomas. The 19-year-old has been missing for two weeks.

Not only is Keadle being investigated in the Thomas case. He's also charged for sexual assault in a completely separate case. Now, more women are claiming they've had run-in's with this man.

The last day of finals at Peru State College, students on the quiet campus continue to hope for Ty Thomas' safe return. "Going home and knowing she's not back with family at Christmas is really sad," said Peru State College student Megan Johnson. "I do hope they find her, it's so sad especially with them looking in the Missouri River," said Peru State College student Linus Hendrickson.

Before heading for home, friends leave Christmas messages on a tree already filled with notes of support for Ty. It's hope that rings through the campus especially after the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office confirms several more women have come forward claiming first hand experiences of inappropriate comments and inappropriate behavior regarding Joshua Keadle, the person of interest in Thomas' disappearance. "That is scary because everyone is so close here and it's so small. If it's happening to this many people, it could happen to more," said Johnson.

A second woman is now claiming that Keadle sexually assaulted her. Right now Nemaha County investigators haven't confirmed if the allegations are true. They say they're looking into it but so far they haven't booked Keadle for it.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.khastv.co...-112169909.html

More allegations of sexual assault against suspect in missing Peru State College student case.

General Reporter
Story Created: Dec 19, 2010 at 11:48 PM CST
(Story Updated: Dec 19, 2010 at 11:48 PM CST )

A second woman has come forward, saying she was raped by the man suspected in the disappearance of a Peru State College student.
The woman told Nemaha County Sheriff deputies that Joshua Keadle, 29, assaulted her in September when she was a freshman at Peru State. She's since dropped out. The woman reportedly said she didn't know who her attacker was until she saw reports of Keadle's arrest in the disappearance of Tyler Thomas,19. Keadle faces charges of sex crimes in other cases. He's being held at the Nemaha County Jail.

[Jenn]

http://www.action3ne....asp?S=13717782

Keadle's Family Speaking Out About Missing Ty Thomas

Posted: Dec 20, 2010 10:39 PM EST

Omaha, NE- A family is facing Christmas without their daughter Ty Thomas who has  been missing for more than two weeks.  Joshua Keadle is the only "Person of Interest" in the Peru State student's case.  Monday we hear from his family as they try to understand what he's accused of doing.

Joshua Keadle's family says they're shocked and they hope he's not responsible.  In a statement the family says, 

'First and foremost we are deeply saddened and concerned for the family of Tyler Thomas. We are also concerned for the possible victims that have and may still come forward. We are just as baffled and confused as anyone about these revelations. We have had little contact with Joshua since march 2008 when is mother passed away unexpectedly. To our knowledge he was in Nebraska attending college. We are still trying to grasp what makes someone resort to these actions. We know Joshua was not raised in an environment to promote this type of behavior. We are concerned for all parties involved, may GOD be with us all!'
                            Sincerely, Dennis Herlong

Heartbroken for Ty Thomas' loved ones the family of Joshua Keadle breaks their silence. In a phone call Dennis Herlong says they family is, "Deeply saddened and just pray to God that Joshua did nothing to cause her harm."

Dennis Herlong is Keadle's Uncle.  We speak about the long list of charges Keadle faces.  "I can't apologize for his actions you know.  If he's done anything it's him but we are deeply saddened and we hate it," said Herlong.

Keadle is charged for tampering with evidence and false reporting in the disappearance of Thomas. While investigators search for clues and the missing student along the Missouri River, Herlong reads local news stories - also searching for answers. "It's a shock to us just as much as everybody out there I'm sure," said Herlong.

In a separate case, Keadle faces public indecency charges in Madison County.  There investigators say he exposed himself to a woman and propositioned her for sex.

Nemaha County court documents later name Keadle as the suspect responsible for raping a different student by the name of "KJ".  Herlong tells KMTV Action 3 News they discuss all of the pending charges.  Herlong says Keadle defends himself, "He's telling me that he'd dumb founded. He doesn't know why these girls are saying this."

Herlong tells KMTV Keadle's mother died three years ago. He describes Keadle as an average person and to his knowledge Joshua was never in trouble.  For the uncle who's still dealing with the loss of his sister he's now disheartened with the thought of losing his nephew as well.  "If the evidence proves that he's done what he's done then he deserves whatever the state of Nebraska does for him.  I mean that's my personal opinion. I'm just going to wait and see what happens see where this goes and let our judicial system do what it does," said Herlong.

Keadle will be in court again in January.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.thesunnew...eb-student.html

Hearing for suspect in Neb. student disappearance
Sunday, Jan. 02, 2011
By TIMBERLY ROSS - Associated Press Writer 

OMAHA, Neb. -- A South Carolina man suspected in the disappearance of a missing Nebraska college student will be back in court this week.

Joshua Keadle, 29, faces charges of first-degree sexual assault, false imprisonment and making terroristic threats in the alleged rape of a Peru State College student on Halloween. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday in Nemaha County Court in Auburn.

The charges were filed after Keadle's arrest last month in the disappearance of Tyler "Ty" Thomas, another Peru State student. The freshman from Bellevue was last seen leaving an off-campus party on Dec. 3. Authorities spent more than a week searching for her in an area along the Missouri River.

Court documents show Keadle, who has been suspended from Peru State, is suspected of providing false information and tampering with evidence in the investigation of Thomas' disappearance, but no formal charges have been filed. The sheriff's office has called him a person of interest in the case.

Keadle, who is from Swansea, S.C., was being held Sunday in the Nemaha County jail on $950,000 bail. The jail declined to leave a message seeking comment about the allegations for Keadle, and his attorney, Diane Merwin, did not respond to repeated phone messages seeking comment. There are no public phone listings for people named Keadle in Swansea.

In the Halloween case, a Peru State student told investigators she "feared for her life" when Keadle drove her to the Missouri River and forced her to perform oral sex, an affidavit filed in court said. He then took her back to campus and raped her, the affidavit said.

Keadle was also charged last month with public indecency for an incident reported in April in Norfolk, when Keadle was a student at Wayne State College. An affidavit filed in court said he offered a now-19-year-old woman as much as $1,500 for sex and exposed himself to her. He has denied the allegations.

Peru State which is a small liberal arts school in the Nebraska State College System. He's attended several Nebraska colleges over the past few years.

[Jenn]

http://www.ketv.com/...818/detail.html

Keadle To Stand Trial On Sex Assault Charges
Keadle Person Of Interest In Disappearance Of Tyler Thomas

POSTED: 8:50 am CST January 7, 2011 UPDATED: 10:51 am CST January 7, 2011

OMAHA, Neb. -- A Nemaha County Court judge has ruled there is enough evidence for Joshua Keadle to stand trial on charges he sexually assaulted a Peru State College student.

Keadle, 29, is also a person of interest in the disappearance of another student. Tyler Thomas was last seen in the early-morning hours of Dec. 3.

Friday's court ruling is for a separate case in which Keadle is charged with five felony accounts of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old student on Halloween.

Keadle is being held on a $950,000 bond.

New Details Revealed In Thomas Disappearance

Court documents have revealed new details in the Tyler Thomas case.

In the documents obtained by KETV NewsWatch 7, over the course of four interviews, Keadle told investigators he and Thomas drove to the Missouri River east of Peru in the early-morning hours of Dec. 3. Keadle said after a sex act, the two got into a fight and he left Thomas behind, but said she was alive.

In the days to follow, crews searched the river, but turned up nothing.

In a search warrant, investigators said they found tire tracks consistent with Keadle's vehicle. The tracks led to the river's edge.

The warrant also said authorities confiscated a stained pillow, letter to Keadle from Peru State College, Keadle's clothing, his Blackberry and a memory card. Investigators also combed Keadle's Ford Explorer for evidence.

[Jenn]

http://www.journalde...the-waters-edge

Investigators of missing Peru State College student Tyler Thomas' disappearance say "drag marks" link Joshua Keadle's SUV to the water's edge

By Dan Swanson Nebraska City News-Press Posted Jan 06, 2011 @ 08:05 PM Last update Jan 07, 2011 @ 08:22 AM

Nebraska City, Neb. — Investigators say “drag marks” link tire tracks left by an SUV that carried Joshua Keadle, 29, and missing Peru State College student Tyler Thomas to the water’s edge of the Missouri River.

The allegations are included in five search warrants unsealed Wednesday by a Nemaha County district court.

To secure a warrant to search Keadle’s 1996 Ford Explorer, investigator Kris Baker told the court that Keadle admitted to taking Thomas to the Peru Boat Dock and leaving her there after an argument.

Baker said he observed tire marks matching the SUV on a driveable pathway that runs along a wooded area north of the established road.
He said investigators “observed visible drag marks leading from the rear end of the above described tire marks to the edge of, down the bank and entering the water of the Missouri River.”

The path is a near a cliff that drops sharply a few feet to the river bank. The steep bank extends a few more feet to the water’s edge.
Keadle was identified as one of the last people to see Thomas on the night she disappeared on Dec. 3 and appeared on a television news broadcast.

Investigators say the re-interviewed Keadle because students told them that Thomas and Keadle had gone on a date. They said Thomas expressed her distaste for Keadle after the date and immediately distanced herself from him.

Keadle was interviewed Dec. 4, Dec. 5, Dec. 6 and Dec. 7. On Dec. 7  a portion of the interview took place at the Peru Boat Dock.

As the result of the interview, an intensive search was conducted of a square mile around the boat ramp and the water from Dec. 7 through Dec. 14.

Tyler Thomas remains missing, however.

The affidavits say Keadle admitted to driving Thomas to the boat dock. He said she offered to perform a sexual act if he would take her to Omaha.

The documents say Keadle said he changed his mind after she performed the sex act, so a physical altercation took place. Keadle told investigators his arm was injured and Thomas may have sustained an injury to her wrists.

Keadle told investigators that he left Thomas at the boat dock, returned to his dorm room and took a shower. During the Dec. 7 interview with the Nebraska State Patrol and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Keadle reportedly said he took the shower to wash away any physical DNA.

He told authorities that Thomas threatened to tell everyone he had raped her.

Investigators also seized clothes Keadle identified as those he wore that night. They included a hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, brown shoes and black thermal-style shirt.

Deputy Sheriff Harold Silvey reported that he spoke with an acquaintance of Keadle. He said the man told him that Keadle asked him to hold a firearm for him, but there are no mentions of a firearm in the evidence seized due to the search warrants.

Also seized from the SUV or Keadle’s dorm room at Davison Hall are numerous tools, zip-ties, trash bag, blue foam with visible stains, swab from a stain on the passenger’s side door of the SUV and soil samples.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.wowt.com/...rySection=story

Update: Search Warrants Reveal New Details in Missing Student Case
Similarities between two cases in which Keadle has been charged

Posted: 10:47 AM Jan 7, 2011
Updated: 5:28 PM Jan 7, 2011
Reporter: WOWT

Search warrants issued in the case of missing Peru State student Tyler Thomas reveal new details in the investigation. The person of interest in her disappearance, Joshua Keadle, appeared in court Friday morning.

Keadle was in court on a separate charge that did not involve the 19-year-old Tyler Thomas. He is accused of sexually assaulting another woman last October. That case was bound over to district court.

Nemaha County Attorney Louie Ligouri is not pursuing allegations of evidence tampering and providing false information in Thomas's disappearance, while he works to build a bigger case. For that reason, Keadle's $950,000 combined bond was reduced to $750,000.

Thomas, a freshman at Peru State, was last seen in the early hours of December 3rd. As law enforcement investigated her disappearance, officers obtained a number of search warrants.

Among the details they reveal:

An officer reports that tire tracks and measurements at the edge of the Missouri River match the tires on and dimensions of Keadle's SUV.

The marks indicate the SUV was backed up to the edge of the river. The officer reports finding drag marks from that point down the bank to the water's edge.

The warrants also reveal that Keadle at one point is accused of asking an acquaintance to take possession of a gun for him. That man says describedecribed the gun as being "dirty" and a "throw away."

Keadle has admitted being with Thomas on the night when she disappeared. The documents provide details of his statements to investigators.

Keadle says Thomas agreed to engage in sexual activity with him that night if, in return, he would drive her to Omaha. Keadle says that when the activity ended, he told Thomas he had changed his mind and would not take her to Omaha.

He says she got angry and the two got into a physical altercation. Officers noted that Keadle had an injury to one arm.

Keadle says he left Thomas at the boat dock and returned to his dorm on the Peru State campus where he took a shower to remove any evidence.

Investigators interviewed Keadle multiple times. They spoke with him on the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th of December. The investigators say he gave conflicting statements.

On December 8th Keadle was arrested for tampering with physical evidence and false reporting in the disappearance of Thomas.

Friday morning Keadle was in court because he is accused of sexually assaulting a different woman on Halloween night. That woman contacted authorities on December 14th.

"She came forward because she had heard about the disappearance of Ty Thomas and wanted to assist in that regard," said Ligouri. "There were similarities, parallels between the two (cases)."

The victim, known as "KJ," claims that Keadle drove her to the same Peru Boat Dock where Keadle claims he left Thomas, and forced her to perform oral sex. The woman says Keadle claimed he had a gun under the front seat of his SUV and if she didn't comply he would dump her body in the Missouri River and no one would know what happened to her.

The woman says on two later occasions in a dorm at Peru State Keadle forced her to have sexual intercourse and that she feared for her life. In court Friday, it was revealed that surveillance cameras captured the pair entering the dorm and leaving approximately two hours later.

[Jenn]

NamUs Profile for Tyler: https://www.findthem...cases/show/9015

[Lori Davis]

Frustration Grows As Search Stalls For Missing Woman

Updated: 8:15 PM Jul 3, 2011
Reporter: LeAnne Morman

Alexis Jones and Tyler Thomas spent many summers together hanging out and watching movies. They've been close friends for years. "She'd really probably just be at my house, to be honest," says Jones, "We were like sisters. We went to football games, basketball games, did everything together."

Read more: http://www.wowt.com/...79.html?ref=679

[Lori Davis]

Man suspected in disappearance of Neb. college student to be arraigned in teen's rape

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 
First Posted: July 23, 2011 - 11:48 am
Last Updated: July 23, 2011 - 11:48 am

FREMONT, Neb. — A man considered a suspect in the disappearance of a Peru State College freshman will be arraigned next month in the rape of a 15-year-old girl.

Court records show 29-year-old Joshua Keadle (KEE'-duhl), from Swansea (SWAHN'-see) S.C., is due Aug. 8 in Dodge County Court to answer to sexual assault of a minor.

A police affidavit says Keadle raped the teen, now 18, as she slept in December 2008 in Fremont.

...
The charges were filed after his arrest in the disappearance of Tyler "Ty" Thomas, who was last seen leaving an off-campus party on Dec. 3.

Read more: http://www.therepubl...tudent-Fremont/

[Lori Davis]

Man suspected in disappearance of Nebraska college student faces more changes in rape case

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 
First Posted: September 16, 2011 - 5:14 pm
Last Updated: September 16, 2011 - 5:14 pm

AUBURN, Neb. — A man suspected of sexually assaulting a Peru State College student faces more charges.

Joshua Keadle (KEE'-duhl), a suspended student originally from Swansea (SWAHN'-see), S.C., is charged with sexual assault, false imprisonment and terroristic threats in the alleged assault of the student last Halloween in Peru.

The Lincoln Star Journal (http://bit.ly/pGe1XY ) says Keadle is now accused of using a weapon in the crime.

Keadle was charged in the case after he was arrested in December in connection with the disappearance of Peru State student Tyler "Ty" Thomas, who was last seen Dec. 3.

Read more: http://www.therepubl...ollege-Student/

[Kelly]

http://www.ketv.com/..._medium=twitter

Student's Family, Friends Still Searching

POSTED: 9:37 pm CDT October 16, 2011

PERU, Neb. -- The family of missing college student Ty Thomas has resumed their search along the banks of the Missouri River in Nemaha County.

It’s been nearly a year since Ty Thomas vanished while attending Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska.

“We [searched] different areas from Peru to Brownville,” said Shannon Ennis, a family friend. “It could be discouraging for a lot of us or her friends and family due to the fact that she hasn't been looked for in some months. It’s been months and she's not found.”

Flooding along the Missouri River prevented crews from searching for Thomas over the summer. Now that water levels have dropped, searchers can get close to the boat dock where Ty Thomas was last seen.

“It was frustrating,” said Ennis. “We wanted to do more, but the least we could do was [put up] the flyers and [spread] awareness about Tyler. We just try to keep her name out there regardless.”

Thomas’ name and smile brought out other volunteers, as well as a separate search party from US ATV Search and Rescue, who brought in cadaver dogs.

“Just the fact that someone's out there looking and she's not forgotten,” explained volunteer Derek Baier. “That there are still people out there trying to help the family to get closure.”

Sunday’s search, like others along the banks of the Missouri River, produced no sign of Thomas, her clothing or her cell phone.

Shannon Ennis said that won’t stop Thomas’ family or friends, hoping to get back out until the weather turns too cold again.

“Keep her name, her story out there,” said Ennis. “So this doesn't happen anytime soon to anybody.”

No one is charged in the Thomas case. Nemaha county investigators say Joshua Keadle, a former student at Peru State, is a person of interest. Keadle told investigators he left Thomas alive along the banks of the Missouri River.

Read more: http://www.ketv.com/...l#ixzz1b0PkhK7q

[Shannon]

http://journalstar.c...2bb6ac48d4.html

Missing girl's family files lawsuit against Keadle, Peru State

December 04, 2012 7:00 am

By LORI PILGER

The mother of a Peru State College student missing for two years has sued the college, the man once described as a person of interest in the case and others she says were to blame for her daughter's death.

Tyler "Ty" Thomas was a 19-year-old college freshman when she went missing from campus Dec. 3, 2010.

Her body hasn't been found, but attorney Timothy Ashford said her mother, LaTanya Thomas, and father, Kevin Semans, believe she was killed that day, the victim of an assault and an abduction.

They know she is dead, he said, "because she would have contacted her parents or friends."

In lawsuits filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Omaha and in Nemaha County District Court, LaTanya Thomas named Joshua Keadle, Peru State College, the city of Auburn, Nehama County, state of Nebraska, Nebraska State College Board, Nebraska Board of Regents and the University of Nebraska.

Keadle is believed to have been the last one to see Ty Thomas alive.

In the lawsuits, Ashford alleges the college, city, county and state employees were negligent for failing to protect her from being attacked by him.

He said Peru State admitted Keadle as a student and allowed him to rent a dorm room a few doors away from Ty Thomas despite a criminal background that would have excluded him from enrolling had school officials checked it.

Ashford said college staff knew "that Keadle had criminal propensities, a criminal background and had trouble."

He didn't elaborate on Keadle's background, which includes misdemeanor convictions for damaging a door and lock at Peru State on Oct. 29, 2010, a theft at a storage unit in Fremont 2009 and a 1999 assault in Lexington County, S.C., involving his father.

In the lawsuits, Ashford said the college had been negligent for failing to separate young female students from older male students with records like Keadle's, failing to adequately investigate his background and failing to take reasonable security measures -- including hiring and training security personnel -- to respond to criminal attacks on campus and in the surrounding area.

Court records indicate that Keadle, 31, was the last person known to see Ty Thomas early on Dec. 3, 2010, and Nemaha County Attorney Louie Ligouri and the sheriff's office called him a person of interest in the case but never charged him.

Ligouri didn't return a call Tuesday seeking comment on the lawsuits or the status of the investigation.

According to an affidavit filed by the Nemaha County sheriff, Keadle said he and Ty Thomas had sex in his vehicle and then got into an argument during which she threatened to report that he raped her. Keadle said he returned to his dorm room and took a shower to wash off any physical evidence of their encounter.

He initially told investigators he saw Thomas, but had no other contact with her that night.

Five days later, he was arrested on suspicion of tampering with evidence and providing false information in the case, but never charged.

In the days and months since Thomas' disappearance, law enforcement searched a stretch of the Missouri River near a Peru boat dock, but her body never was found.

Keadle, who is from Swansea, S.C., is serving a 15- to 20-year prison sentence at the Lincoln Correctional Center for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in 2008 while he was a college student in Dodge County.

His accuser testified that during Christmas break that year, she fell asleep in a Midland University apartment after having consensual sex with another teenager and woke to Keadle having sex with her.

She reported the assault after Keadle was questioned in the Ty Thomas disappearance.

In a taped interview with a Fremont detective, Keadle denied having sex with the girl, saying he went into the bedroom intending to have sex with her, but couldn't.

Between 2008 and 2010, Keadle attended Wayne State College, Midland University in Fremont and Peru State as a nontraditional student.

[Shannon]

http://www.therepubl...Student-Lawsuit

Peru State College, officials ask judge to dismiss lawsuit filed by mother of missing student

April 29, 2013 - 11:51 am EDT

OMAHA, Nebraska — Peru State College and state and local officials have asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit in which a mother blames them in the disappearance of her daughter.

LaTanya Thomas filed the lawsuit accusing the college and officials of neglecting to protect her daughter, 19-year-old student Tyler "Ty" Thomas, from fellow student Joshua Keadle, who is serving time in a Nebraska prison for sexual assault in a separate case.

Tyler Thomas has not been seen since Dec. 2, 2010. Investigators say Keadle told them he and Thomas had sex that night at a boat dock in Peru on the Missouri River.

Keadle told investigators they later argued and Thomas threatened to tell authorities that he had raped her. Keadle said he returned to his dorm room and took a shower to wash off any physical evidence of their encounter, according to court documents filed by Nemaha County Sheriff's officials.

Officials searched the river and the area but didn't find a body.

Keadle, 31, has not been charged in Thomas' disappearance, but he is serving a 15- to 20-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in 2008 while he was a college student in Dodge County.

Keadle also was accused of sexually assaulting a Peru State College student in 2010, but prosecutors dropped the charges, saying it would have been difficult to secure a conviction.

LaTanya Thomas' lawsuit says her daughter should have been protected from Keadle. The lawsuit seeks more than $1,600 to cover the repayment of student loans that Thomas incurred, as well as unspecified damages for the family's pain and suffering.

The Lincoln Journal Star reported Monday (http://bit.ly/WO275R ) that the dismissal motion says officials couldn't foresee that placing Keadle and Thomas in the same dormitory put the young woman at risk.

"At most, what may or may not have been brought about by Keadle and Thomas being placed in the same dormitory is an opportunity for defendant Keadle to meet Tyler Thomas, but nothing more," the motion says.

Attorneys for the college system, the cities of Peru and Auburn, and Nemaha County also have asked that the case be dismissed.

The college's dismissal motion says "the alleged failure of a representative of Peru State College to check into Keadle's background was, at most, mere negligence."

Federal court records don't suggest when the judge might rule on the dismissal motions but said LaTanya Thomas' attorney had until May 28 to reply.

[Lori Davis]

http://journalstar.c...4b06627684.html

 

Missing Peru State student declared dead

 

November 20, 2013 10:00 am  •  By LORI PILGER / Lincoln Journal Star

 

A Nemaha County judge has declared that a 19-year-old Peru State College freshman missing for nearly three years is dead.

 

Tyler "Ty" Thomas' body hasn't been found, but her family suspected she was killed Dec. 3, 2010, the day she disappeared.

 

By state law, missing people typically are declared dead after five years with no word and no explanation of their absence despite a diligent search.

 

In this case, LaTanya Thomas and Kevin Semans asked Nemaha County District Judge Daniel Bryan to order a death certificate for their daughter so they can go forward with wrongful death lawsuits in state and federal court. They have sued Josh Keadle, who they suspect killed her, and the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges, which they believe could have prevented her death.

 

Bryan did so last week, based on evidence that Thomas had not contacted her parents, extended family or friends, and had not used her bank accounts, Facebook or cellphone since the day she disappeared.

 

Keadle, the last known person to see her alive, has been described as a person of interest in Thomas' disappearance, but he has not been charged.

In court records, investigators said he admitted he'd given Thomas a ride early Dec. 3, 2010, and that they'd had sexual contact in his vehicle, “followed by a physical and verbal confrontation."

 

Afterward, Keadle said, he left Thomas and returned to his dorm room and took a shower.

 

On Tuesday, Nemaha County Sheriff Brent Lottman said Keadle still is a person of interest in the case, which remains an ongoing investigation.

Nemaha County Attorney Louie Ligouri did not return a call seeking comment.

 

Last year, Thomas' parents sued Keadle, the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges and others, alleging they failed to exercise appropriate measures to protect their daughter and other female students from him.

 

Peru State College, the state of Nebraska and local officials since have been dismissed as defendants in the lawsuits.

 

Keadle, a 32-year-old from Swansea, S.C., is serving a 15- to 20-year prison sentence at the Lincoln Correctional Center for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in 2008 while he was a college student in Dodge County.

 

Lincoln attorney Vince Powers, who represents Thomas' family in the state suit, said the move to request a death certificate became necessary after the Board of Trustees asked a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit because there was no proof she is dead.

 

If they'd waited five years, they may have been barred by the statute of limitations from raising the claims, he said.

 

"We want very much to get to the bottom of how this could occur in the 21st century that a young girl can go and be placed in (college) housing with a man who had a criminal record, ... who wasn't going to class, and who was sexually harassing other women," Powers said. "Those are allegations that we intend to prove."

[Kelly]

http://www.wowt.com/...-284416711.html

12/1/2014
By: Roger Hamer, Malorie Maddox

 

Ty Thomas Still Missing Four Years Later

 

It was four years ago this week when Tyler Thomas was reported missing. The Peru State College student was last seen December 3rd in 2010. Her killer was never convicted. Her body, never found.

It was four years ago this week when Tyler Thomas was reported missing.

The Peru State College student was last seen December 3rd in 2010.

Her killer was never convicted. Her body, never found.

But now comes a push for change to assure that the circumstances surrounding her disappearance will never happen again.

Nineteen-year-old Tyler Thomas is still out there...somewhere.

Her cousin, Kenetta Thomas-Ward and other relatives searched in vain for her body.

"Not knowing anything or not being told anything is the hardest part," she said.

Then 29-years-old, Joshua Keadle was allegedly the last person to see Tyler Thomas alive that December night. He said he left her at a boat dock after consensual sex and an argument.

Then also a Peru State student, Keadle, was never convicted of killing Thomas.

Thomas-Ward believes her cousin's death could have been avoided.

"This is a man, a grown man who could easily live in an apartment or house and drive to the school and then go back home," she said. "I don't think he should have been living on campus with 16 or 17 or 18 year old boys or girls.

That's the basis of a federal and state lawsuit filed by Lincoln Attorney Vince Powers.

Powers believes Peru State failed to provide a harassment free and safe environment for Thomas and other students.

"We have a 29-year-old living on a dorm floor with teenaged girls," he said. "You drive away from college and you think she's in a safe place and she was in one of the most dangerous places in America."

Powers based his case against the school under Title IX, where a school receiving federal funds must provide a harassment free environment. Powers argues the school was negligent by placing Keadle in a co-ed dorm.

"This should never have happened," Powers said.

"Whether they knew or not or when they found out about his background, they should have took the proper precautions," Thomas-Ward said.

A judge ordered issuing a death certificate for Ty Thomas. Powers called that a major move forward.

The case will go to court.

"I pray that there is always some type of justice," Thomas-Ward said. She hopes that someday her family and cousin find peace.

"We should never have to say goodbye to a family member too soon like that," she said.

Keadle is serving a 15-to-20 year sentence at the Lincoln Correctional Center.

He was convicted two years ago in an unrelated case of first degree sexual assault. The victim was a 15-year old girl who Keadle attacked in 2009.

Tyler Thomas' cousin says Ty's family will never stop looking for her and her killer.